Agroforestry and Ecosystem Services Training Course

Participants can develop site-appropriate agroforestry designs using biophysical, operational and livelihood criteria.

• Site screening using slope, soils, rainfall, drainage and current land use
• Land capability assessment for annual crops, trees, livestock and restoration
• Species selection matrix covering function, compatibility, management and market value
• Spatial design principles for rows, strips, clusters, buffers and boundaries
• Tree-crop competition managed through spacing, pruning, thinning and root barriers
• Seasonal labour calendars aligned with establishment, maintenance and harvest requirements
• Design assumptions documented through simple farm and landscape concept maps

Participants can identify and strengthen biodiversity outcomes within agroforestry production systems.

• Habitat structure assessed through canopy layers, vegetation diversity and connectivity
• Functional diversity considered for pollinators, natural enemies and soil organisms
• Native species selection balanced against farmer preferences and invasive-species risks
• Riparian buffers designed to protect aquatic habitat and water quality
• Ecological corridors linked across farms, reserves and fragmented woodland patches
• Biodiversity indicators selected using pressure-state-response logic and feasible sampling
• High Conservation Value screening integrated into farm planning decisions

Participants can specify agroforestry practices that improve soil function, water management and climate resilience.

• Soil health indicators: organic carbon, aggregation, infiltration and ground cover
• Contour hedgerows and vegetative strips reduce erosion on cultivated slopes
• Mulching, litterfall and cover crops support nutrient cycling processes
• Water balance concepts guide species density and planting configuration decisions
• Riparian agroforestry reduces sediment, nutrient and pesticide movement downstream
• Drought resilience strengthened through rooting depth, shade and moisture retention
• Management thresholds defined for grazing pressure, fire risk and regeneration

Participants can assess whether agroforestry designs are economically viable and socially feasible for producers.

• Farm enterprise budgets separate establishment, maintenance, harvesting and replacement costs
• Cash-flow timing compared against household needs and seasonal income gaps
• Tree products assessed for markets, quality requirements, storage and transport
• Gender and social inclusion analysis identifies labour, access and benefit constraints
• Tenure and tree-use rights examined before recommending long-term investments
• Farmer adoption barriers assessed through risk, labour, knowledge and liquidity
• Benefit-sharing arrangements structured for groups, communities and downstream users

Participants can map priority ecosystem services and identify areas where agroforestry can provide value.

• Participatory landscape mapping identifies farms, resources, users and conflict areas
• Service-demand mapping distinguishes beneficiaries, dependency levels and access rights
• Priority areas ranked using feasibility, ecological importance and livelihood value
• InVEST model outputs interpreted for habitat, sediment retention and carbon storage
• Simple GIS layers combine land cover, slope, waterways and settlement data
• Trade-off matrices compare food production, conservation, water and income outcomes
• Spatial assumptions recorded to support transparent planning and stakeholder review

Participants can incorporate carbon, climate adaptation and risk considerations into agroforestry planning.

• Carbon pools identified in biomass, deadwood, litter and soil organic matter
• EX-ACT principles applied to estimate project-level greenhouse gas balances
• Additionality, permanence and leakage considered in carbon-related project claims
• Climate hazard screening covers drought, floods, heat, storms and wildfire
• Species portfolios reduce exposure to pests, disease and weather extremes
• Scenario planning tests design performance under changing rainfall and temperature
• Carbon monitoring boundaries aligned with project objectives and reporting requirements

Participants can establish governance and safeguard measures for equitable agroforestry implementation.

• Stakeholder mapping identifies rights holders, duty bearers, users and decision-makers
• Free, prior and informed consent principles applied where relevant
• Land tenure due diligence identifies formal, customary and overlapping claims
• IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions used for intervention quality checks
• Grievance mechanisms designed with accessible reporting and response procedures
• Safeguard screening addresses displacement, child labour and resource-use restrictions
• Governance roles assigned for nurseries, extension, maintenance and benefit distribution

Participants can create practical monitoring systems for agroforestry ecosystem service outcomes.

• Theory of change links activities, outputs, outcomes and ecosystem service impacts
• Baseline protocols define sampling units, reference sites and data quality checks
• Indicator sets cover tree survival, canopy cover, soil, water and income
• Biodiversity monitoring methods include transects, point counts and camera traps
• Farmer records capture labour, inputs, yields, sales and management actions
• Monitoring dashboards distinguish leading indicators from long-term ecological outcomes
• Adaptive management cycles convert monitoring findings into design and management changes

Participants can prepare an implementable agroforestry ecosystem services action plan for their work context.

• Implementation sequencing covers site preparation, planting, maintenance and replacement cycles
• Nursery procurement plans specify seed sources, quality standards and delivery timing
• Cost-benefit analysis compares intervention packages using discounted cash-flow estimates
• Risk registers assign controls for climate, markets, governance and implementation
• SAFA themes used to review sustainability performance and reporting priorities
• Partner coordination plans define extension roles, data responsibilities and decision gates
• Ninety-day action plans translate course methods into workplace priorities